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Did the Prophets have a backup Emissary if Sisko died or something unforeseen happened? Is their any mention of more than one Emissary?

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    They can see the future. Nothing is unforeseen to them.
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 29, 2021 at 11:50
  • @Valorum - Ah! I see, Is their any mention of more than one Emissary? Was Sisko the only one?
    – user144649
    Commented Sep 29, 2021 at 11:52

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Sisko is The Sisko. The Prophets don't need a spare Emissary because they can see the path that lies ahead of him. In the episode DS9: Accession, an alternate Emissary becomes available. The prophets make it abundantly clear that Sisko is their sole choice.

SISKO: For me?

Akorem asks the question he now knows the answer to.

AKOREM: You're saying... he's your Emissary...

BASHIR ALIEN: He is the Sisko.

DS9: Accession - Script

Other Emissaries.

In the Millennium EU novels, Kai Weyoun becomes an Emissary of an alternate universe set of wormhole prophets, suggesting that it's possible that there can be more than one emissary co-existing. It's revealed that Ben Sisko's daughter is the True Emissary and that any blood relative of Ben Sisko (including Jake) can be the Emissary.

To answer your question about the Ben Sisko in the Mirror universe, in the EU Novel The Soul Key we see a Cardassian (Iliana Ghemor) become the Emissary by devious means but we also learn that all Ben Siskos are constructs of the prophets, which presumably includes all the Bens found in mirror and alternate dimensions. The Ben seen in DS9: Crossover (etc) would probably have become the Emissary, had he found the Celestial Temple and not died first.

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  • Followup question, were the Prophets aware of the mirror universe Sisko and was he an Emissary as well?
    – user144649
    Commented Sep 29, 2021 at 11:56
  • @EmpressSvetlana - He absolutely was not the Emissary. It's not clear if the prophets knew about him, but they were certainly aware of the Q (according to the comics) so they'd know about mirror universes and alternate dimensions.
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 29, 2021 at 11:57
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    This is why I don't like to bring the EU stuff into this. The justification for so much in DS9 was that Sisko's path was set and he was always going to be triumphant in their dealings with the Pah-Wraith. So the notion that Mirror Sisko was also destined to be the emissary, but died beforehand ruins that notion.
    – Logarr
    Commented Sep 29, 2021 at 21:07
  • I just read on this part on Memory Alpha: "In "Sacrifice of Angels", Sisko says to the Prophets, "You've sent the Bajorans orbs and Emissaries." This is the only reference to multiple Emissaries." Is it just the way he phrases the sentence?
    – user144649
    Commented Oct 3, 2021 at 16:15
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    @EmpressSvetlana - It's the only time that the word is used in the plural anywhere in the show. I suspect it's merely poetic licence on Sisko's part, riffing off of 'orbs and'
    – Valorum
    Commented Oct 3, 2021 at 16:16
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According to Memory Alpha, Sisko is the only 'real' Emissary that is shown in Star Trek canon. There was the Bajoran Akorem Laan (DS9 episode Ascension) that claimed to be the real Emissary, but the Prophets declared in that episode that Sisko was the chosen Emissary.

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The Bajoran Akorem Lann claimed the title of Emissary during the events of the DS9 episode Accession - DS9 Season 4, Episode 17. Sisko went to the Celestial Temple with him so they could ask the Prophets (aka The wormhole Aliens) them who was meant to be the Emissary.

Apart from Akorem Lann, I don't think there's been any other mention of other Emissaries.

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